


See Through Our Web

by rqmbledmusings



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: During Canon, F/M, My First Work in This Fandom, but still pretty critical of them, my working title was 'stefan gets his ass beat', not exactly anti steroline, or anti klamille
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 12:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,371
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29808150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rqmbledmusings/pseuds/rqmbledmusings
Summary: “Did you talk to Caroline?” The question came out without much thought from Stefan... Klaus turned to lock Stefan into a stare and something about his eyes told him to treadverycarefully.Takes place during the crossover episode; Stefan finds out about the phone call and comes to certain realizations that should've been much more obvious
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson, Caroline Forbes/Stefan Salvatore
Comments: 8
Kudos: 28





	See Through Our Web

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place during the scene where Stefan joins the TO gang in planning but we're just gonna carry on as if Lucien is either just not there or is lying on the couch with a snapped neck... whatever you like best :)

“Well I would hope that in the mutual interest of preserving the life of your sire you’ll all get along for the next few hours.” Klaus said with a menacing smile as he turned to leave Stefan with the other vampire of his line.

“Oh and one other thing,” he reached into his pocket and plucked out Stefan’s cell phone, “you left this behind mate.”

“Huh, thanks.” He took the phone and woke the screen up to finally go through the messages he’d been ignoring from Caroline the past few hours.

_7:15PM – Hey, I hope you’re safe Stefan. Call me._

_7:47PM – Stefan pls call, I’m finally off the road. I need to know you’re safe._

_8:52PM – Hey! I hope you’ve got your phone back by now. Klaus told me he’s helping you out, lmk if his plan works._

He looked up in surprise towards Klaus who was calmly pouring himself a drink. He’d spoken to Caroline? How? A quick look through his call log showed that they’d had a conversation lasting just over 5 minutes.

Were they only speaking about him? Or was this a warning sign that they had fallen right back into old patterns? Was Caroline the reason Klaus came back for him? Klaus was extremely angry at him for messing with Rayna Cruz, and then suddenly he wasn’t; was it all because of one conversation with Caroline?

Freya was speaking to him and the other guy, Marcel, but he couldn’t bring himself to pay attention to what she was saying. Was he really only still alive because Klaus used to like his girlfriend? Or was it just a small favour, from one supernatural parent to another; Klaus did seem awfully intrigued to hear that Caroline was able to have children despite being a vampire.

“Did you talk to Caroline?” The question came out without much thought from Stefan but it was enough to pull Klaus from the quiet conversation he was having with Elijah. He turned around to lock Stefan into a stare and something about his eyes told him to tread _very_ carefully.

“Hmm... yes she was worried about your safety; after all you do have the Huntress after you. I merely reassured her that I was here to ensure your continued existence.” His words were soothing enough to everyone else in the room; a bit taunting yes, but not enough to spike the kind of worry that was rising in Stefan. None of them had ever seen Klaus and Caroline together, he vaguely thought, catching the questioning looks from those around him, they don’t understand how serious this could get.

“And this happened after you... told me to leave the city?” God why did it feel like everything was about to become so much worse than it already was for him. 

“Well obviously mate,” he stated, his tone laced with patronization. “How else do you think I knew you’d left your phone behind?” 

“So... you helped me because of Caroline?” The falsely calm smile Klaus had on his face dropped.

“Ah yes, about that.” Klaus rushed up, wrapping a hand around Stefan’s throat and slamming him against the closest pillar.

“I’m so glad to see that you’re still the smarter Salvatore. Of course, I didn’t intend to do this but I suppose since you now know exactly what basis you are in my house on, I hope you understand what should happen the next time you make a mistake like this. Caroline already has enough to worry about, what with all the recent major life changes; we wouldn’t want to add you to her list of problems now would we?” Oh he was right to worry; this was not good for him. How could he be so _stupid _as to think a conversation between Klaus and Caroline could be simple enough to brush aside?__

____

____

“Listen very carefully to me,” Klaus said, tightening his grip on Stefan’s neck and ignoring the way he was trying to claw his hand off. “The fact that you are an old friend is the only thing that has me willing to extend the courtesy of a warning to you. Should you _ever_ place Caroline in danger because of your compulsive need to stand by and protect your useless brother, everything you lot used to pity Tyler for will look like a pathetic joke compared to what I’ll do to you.” 

He could vaguely spot the realization dawning on those around him from the corner of his eyes; finally they saw that this was something to _worry_ about. More specifically he caught a spark of recognition on Elijah’s face at Tyler’s name – perhaps just the knowledge of him being Klaus’ first hybrid, but he could’ve sworn there was more there – before Klaus’ voice drew his attention back to him. 

“Should any harm come to her,” he warned, his eyes bleeding gold and that was enough to _terrify_ Stefan, “should I ever find her dejected or disappointed because you and your brother are incapable of living a peaceful life you will not enjoy what will follow, Stefan. I do not have the patience to deal with all the problems you lot like to throw yourselves into and I certainly do not intend to spend the next thousand years cleaning up those messes just to keep one person happy and out of harm’s way.”

“Oh my god – “

Both of them shifted their eyes to see another blond girl standing in the entry way, openly shocked at the sight of Klaus strangling someone she’d never seen before.

“Hello Cami, wonderful timing,” he said, letting go of Stefan who immediately bent over, gasping for breath. “We’re currently planning an attack, I’m sure Freya or Hayley will have a role for you to play as well.”

“Klaus... who is – “

“Ah right, Cami this is Stefan Salvatore, Rebekah’s favourite ex boyfriend and a dear old friend from the 20s; I’m sure you can dig out some entertaining stories about the time of prohibition from him for you to covet. Stefan, this is Cami O’Connell, she’s a bartender at the lovely joint we were catching up at earlier; the one where you abandoned your phone, and allowed me the joy of a conversation with Caroline.”

“Klaus we talked about your anger. You just said he was a friend, plus Rebekah’s ex, you can’t do this because of some– “

“Not now Cami,” he _growled,_ and the look he shot her was enough to silence her. He’d directed his anger at her before, but never to such an extent. “I’ve got more pressing matters to attend to than your analysis on my behaviour and your opinion on matters you have no knowledge of. I’m sure whatever you came here to say can wait a while,” he spat. 

He threw one last warning look at Stefan before leaving them all behind as he climbed up the stairs and disappeared into another room.

God, he was an idiot – to bring his problems to Klaus Mikaelson’s door and expect only a minor reprimand of disappointment? How could he have been so _naïve?_ Klaus would never let something like Rayna Cruz go so easily, especially when such a problem could put _Caroline_ in harm’s way. For god’s sake she was the first person he asked about – everything was _right there_ and he missed it.

“I know Klaus uses the term ‘friend’ very loosely, but is there any particular reason that a conversation with your girlfriend has him threatening you?” He dropped his hand down from massaging his throat as he looked to Freya who stood with her arms crossed, a suspicious look on her face.

“That wasn’t a threat, it was a reminder.” A reminder he was too blind to see.

“Of what?” That was from Marcel, who looked way too interested in the details. That glee wouldn’t last if he didn’t pick up on how dangerous Klaus’ connection to Caroline could become to those around him.

“Klaus he... he was telling me that whenever Caroline and I break up, it’ll have to be the most amicable break up ever if I want to continue living in peace.” Klaus wouldn’t ever kill him – Caroline wouldn’t let him, no – but there were ways to ruin a person without killing them and Klaus had practically invented every single method.

“You use such, definitive language to refer to your relationship.” He looked to the new girl, Cami, who seemed empathetic to him despite only meeting him a few minutes ago. “Why are you so sure that this relationship of yours will end with a break up? I know we don’t know each other but I’m a psychology student, I’m pretty good at reading people and you don’t strike me as the kind of person for casual relationships. You wouldn’t be with this Caroline, was it?” he nodded in confirmation, and she smiled encouragingly, “If you didn’t love her, so why does Klaus care about your relationship so much?”

There was something about this girl that, even though she was blatantly prying, seemed trust worthy. Something that compelled him to explain to her things with no regard for the fact that there were others in the room just as ready to pick through every detail of the past 5 minutes.

“I... have a habit of prioritizing my brother over everyone else; it’s how I ended up with a target on my chest in the first place. Klaus knows this; he’s used it to manipulate me in the past and he knows it’ll get me in trouble again in the future.” His love for Damon was damning, and somewhere deep inside him he knows it’ll get one of them killed some day.

“And Klaus he... he knows Caroline too. He knows what she’s like more than I think I know Caroline sometimes and she was my best friend long before we ever started dating.” How else could Klaus have been so sure about how Caroline would treat the twins? Damon had said the same thing, and he hadn’t even grown to like Caroline until after Liz died. How was he the only one to _not get it?_

“If it was anyone else, he wouldn’t care about my relationship, but with Caroline it’s different. He’s invested because Klaus was...” he trailed off, pausing and making sure to rephrase himself; he had to ensure he wasn’t going to make the same mistake as he did in the car earlier. “... Klaus _is,_ in love with Caroline. He always has been, and right now? That was a reminder that he always will be. It was a reminder that he’ll always be better at loving her than me too.”

That answer evidently wasn’t what she was expecting, and from the stricken look on her face and the way she made a quick, crushed glance up to where Klaus had disappeared to, it was clear that she didn’t want that answer either. 

_She’s in the same position as me,_ he realized. Another person caught up in what was starting to look like the eternal web of Klaus and Caroline; destined to be wrapped up in pretty silk and devoured alive all while those they were drawn to, patiently continued on their own journey of _not yet._

"I thought they were long over, I mean they haven’t even seen each other in almost 3 years, probably haven’t spoken in just as long too, but I was wrong to just assume things.” Cami took a few steps closer, looking at him with a small sliver of hope in her eyes, still.

“Are you sure about that? I mean Klaus’ ex is currently in town and he’s not been very welcoming. If they’ve gone that long without communication then it might not be the same as you remember it.” He was starting to feel bad for her; this girl was so ready to see Klaus as something he wasn’t. 

“You might have seen him with others, but not Caroline,” he said with a gentle smile, hoping she would understand without him having to force her to see it. “Everything with Caroline is different for Klaus; I’ve seen him with lots of others too but I don’t think anyone else in his life could compare to her. I used to joke about how she had him wrapped around her finger, Caroline would just laugh it off, but we both knew that it was true. I suppose it still is.” Caroline hadn’t even needed to say anything and Klaus was ready to defend her; he was there to provide her protection and comfort even though they’re currently half way across the country from each other.

“I’d suggest getting back to the plan for tonight,” Elijah spoke up. “Not to undermine what just occurred but we have more pressing matters than my brother’s... history with the people in Mystic Falls.” It was clear that he was trying to push everyone away from Klaus’ outburst, no doubt so that he could bring it up himself later on but Stefan couldn’t be bothered to object. The quicker they could solve this problem the sooner he could get away from Klaus and _think_ about what had happened since arriving in New Orleans.

Freya started to direct them back towards their upcoming mission while Elijah slipped upstairs and into the room Klaus had disappeared into. Cami however, still lingered, eyes trained upon the room he could faintly hear Elijah’s not-so-subtle prodding of the situation coming from. He could see that she longed to go up there, but she was holding herself back, most likely out of hesitation borne from the thinly restrained violence Klaus had directed at her earlier. 

“For what it’s worth,” he said quietly, drawing her attention to him, “I hope you don’t have to be around to see what happens when Caroline comes back into his life. I don’t think you’ll like what you see.” He meant it to be comforting while also maintaining a tone of caution, but she seemed to only fall further into despair. There isn’t really anything to say to soothe a heart that’s falling apart, is there?

 _ _Klaus and Caroline; a web that devours all, survived by no one other than those who wove it._ _

**Author's Note:**

> I've always found it hilarious that Stefan never actually understood Caroline, despite tvd trying to convince us all that they're such good friends and super compatible. I mean you know you're a bad match for her when _Damon _comes to the right conclusion before you do.__


End file.
